Penalty Game
by Vitachii
Summary: .. Game on.' Hikaru finds himself challenging a fellow, female classmate in all sorts of ways. But it's not like she likes him, and it's definitely not like he wants to be around her or anything ... he thinks? Why's she stuck by him, anyway? OCHH R
1. Winner by Default

**Disclaimer: **I do not own OHSHC. I only own Chisato-chan.

Winner by Default

Chisato Shugame had never thought of herself as conceited. Plain, quiet; yes, she was renown as the class genius. But conceited? Never. True, she did hide behind her hair more often than not, and her glasses and far-too-long dress concealed her figure rather than reveal her feminine characteristics, but Chisato was Chisato.

In this early morning, she stifled the smallest of sighs, and propped her chin up on her elbow. It seemed that the teacher's only wish was to bore her with meaningless words, so much so that the class blurred out into nothingness. The two seperate parties settled into their regular routine, with Chisato sinking deeper and deeper into her book. Her wavy, dark brown hair fell messily across her face; frowning with concentration, Chisato pushed it back.

It fell again.

Confused, Chisato whirled around. Behind her sat the infamous – or should she say 'famous' – Hikaru Hitachiin, features corrupted by a devilish smirk. The girls seemed to find his bright hair attractive, or his roguish behaviour ... exciting. But to Chisato, it meant nothing. She glared at him for a moment, and when she was certain she had corrected his foolishness, she turned back to her book.

The lock fell once more.

Chisato could stand it no longer. Whirling around, she glowered at Hikaru .. and then lost her nerve.

"Hikaru-san," the girl said sweetly, groping blindly at any straws she had, "could you repeat the question the teacher just asked for me?"

The class went quiet. Chisato rarely asked anything of anyone. In short, she kept to herself. Hikaru blinked dumbly at her, caught off guard. Chisato smiled pleasantly back, and her thin glasses flashed threateningly. After a moment or two, Hikaru opened his mouth, and smiled awkwardly up at the class.

"Repeat what the teacher said? Whoa, hold on, does this possibly mean that the famed Shugame-san of Bookland has finally surfaced to realize she hasn't been concentrating on getting good grades?"

The blow stung. The class tittered uneasily, all eyes glued to the conflict. The teacher said nothing, but took another quick sip from his mug, seizing the opportunity. Chisato closed her textbook, the pages whispering to her. Her cheeks burned with the indignation of it all.

"Stop side-stepping the request." she said bluntly, "Sure; go ahead and insult the fact that I'm literate in English, French, and Japanese as well, but that won't stop me from studying _without distractions._"

The words cut deep, but Hikaru didn't even wince. Instead, he grinned round at the class.

"Literate in Japanese ... that was left to last. Anybody wonder why? And sure; go ahead and study. I won't interrupt."

"That being said, you might think about carrying out your actions." Chisato said icily, "And if you plan on insulting my German background, think again."

She dealt the final blow; "Hikaru-san, as a final repeated request – the kanji translation. After all, I _am _less literate than you in Japanese after all."

The teacher, at this point, decided to intervene. Both boy and girl sunk back into their seats, Chisato smug, Hikaru sullen. Hikaru still said nothing, eyes focused on the board, but Chisato knew all too well that the complex kanji transcript was nothing but a blur of ink for him. She grinned, and buried her nose deep in the book once more. And even though the phrase appeared nowhere in the text she had chosen to study, she couldn't help but think -

_Winner by default. _


	2. Game On

**Disclaimer: **I do not own OHSHC. I only own Chisato-chan.

* * *

Chapter Two: Game On

"Hey, Chisato."

Chisato definitely didn't take kindly to strangers calling her by her first name; especially not loud, annoying, moronic, obnoxious strangers. She could've gone on listing Hikaru's annoying, terribly, horribly freakish traits, but then there would be no more space left in her notebook. Worse, she wouldn't be able to concentrate on her novel. The girl's grip on her mug tightened.

"Oi, Chisato. I'm talking to you."

Chisato gingerly spooned a mouthful of miso soup onto her tongue, and forced herself to swallow. Hikaru still hadn't moved from his position. He stood there, as unwilling to budge as ever. Then, before she knew it, a pair of firm hands had come down, and lifted the lightweight frame of her glasses from the bridge of her nose. Chisato panicked.

"Hey, Hikaru-san, give those back! _Give those back, I need my glasses!"_

"Not a chance." Hikaru snickered, as Chisato flailed about wildly, "What do you even need these for?"

Chisato saw the world through a haze of confusion. She could vaguely make out Hikaru's face, pulled tight and handsome with laughter, and her glasses, dangling delicately from his fingertips. At any moment, they would crash to the ground, and splinter into a million tiny pieces.

"What's going on here?" asked another friendly voice.

In her confusion, Chisato snatched at the teenager who'd appeared next to Hikaru, identical in face and body shape. But her momentum carried her too far, and she ploughed straight into Kaoru's firm, well-formed chest. He caught her just in time, and he righted her once more.

"Hikaru, you never told me you made a clone of girl-Haruhi." Kaoru chided his twin, snuggling up to the doppelganger affectionately.

"Sure, she's a clone. Real bookish alright. She just ain't as pretty as Haruhi."

"Hikaru-san, Kaoru-san," Chisato all but snarled, "I'd like my glasses back now. It's that, or I dob you guys in for destroying the kanji classroom."

"She'd do such a thing?"

'Well, yeah." Hikaru confirmed, "she's strange enough, alright."

Chisato flung herself at Hikaru once more, and this time, managed to safely rescue her glasses from his grip. She pushed them firmly back onto her face, fluffing out her fringe so the majority of her protuberant eyes were obscured. With the glasses back in place and her face hidden, all energy was sapped immediately. Hikaru and Kaoru looked extra- beautiful, but to Chisato, that meant nothing.

They weren't books after all.

"I'll be going now." she said, snatching her hot chocolate from the table before either Hikaru or Kaoru could tamper with it too much, "Nice talking to you all."

The twins watched Chisato leave with a renewed sense of curiosity. Despite her hidden face, she still walked upright, and with a sense of self-belonging and respect. It was odd, to see so small and slight a girl, look so strong in a world of leaders. In fact – a brainwave hit the both of them at the same time – they had basically no idea of who she was, or her background.

"Fancy a little research, Kaoru?"

"And a makeover for your friend? Sure."

"She's not my friend, but ... game on."

The Hitachiin brothers grinned in frightening unison.


	3. Pixel ID

**Disclaimer: **I do not own OHSHC. I only own Chisato-chan.

* * *

Pixel ID

"Hey hey, Chisato."

For some reason, that greeting was becoming annoyingly familiar. Chisato didn't budge so much as an inch. Instead, she aimed the screwed up wad of tissues over her shoulder, at Hikaru's head. The twin flinched away, almost dragging Chisato's chair down with him. Satisfied, Chisato whirled around to glower at Hikaru, spread-eagled on the ground.

"What was that for?"

"What was _what _for?" she replied as unemotionally as ever.

"That-never mind," Hikaru said, deciding to side-step an argument, "anyhow, Kaoru and I have something interesting to discuss with you."

A small crowd had surged around them while Hikaru had fallen. Now, at the mention of Hikaru's twin, an audible murmur of interest rose above the crowd. Chisato glanced up, face growing somewhat pale as she spied the familiar blush of otaku fangirls. Something big was going on here, something ... really big.

"It depends what you value as interesting, Hikaru-san."

"Well," came Kaoru's voice, "this is pretty interesting for us."

The crowd was shoved unceremoniously aside. For a moment, all Chisato could see was the round head of Kaoru Hitachiin and his broad back, as he forged his own path through the crowd. The next moment, both twins were grinning at her, several sheets of thick, cardboard-stiff paper dangling from their grip. Chisato scanned one.

"This is about my family." she said slowly, "Where'd you get this ...?"

"Suffice to say, we did a little research." Hikaru said, winking over the dark-haired girl's head at Kaoru, "Your family background was interesting."

For once, Chisato was speechless.

"... Depends on what you classify as interesting." she repeated quietly.

Hikaru frowned. This wasn't the reaction he'd been anticipating; there was no steady stream of tears, no pouting, no furious, frantic fists flying at him. Chisato merely sat there, her expression unreadable as she scanned the newspaper article as quickly as she devored her books. But this time, she didn't seem enthusiastic. Her head was sunken.

Kaoru glanced at Hikaru over the top of Chisato's head, his eyes a question. Hikaru shook his head. There would be no comforting for this particular girl.

"Your family owns a bank industry," Hikaru reported, in the cheesiest TV-presenter voice he could summon up, although it did nothing to lighten the mood, "you _were _going to inherit the business, but 'the girl with no face' had no fortune."

Chisato stiffened. The picture beneath the headlines held true to it's contention; an expressionless Chisato, her thin glasses tinted a few shades darker than average, her eyes unreadable, sat silently, no doubt posing for a family photograph. That was the thing – no-one could see her. No-one ever would. Chisato's lips tightened and formed a thin line.

"Was it really that important to dig this up?" she said, voice stretched like jam over thick bread.

"You bet, Four-Eyes." Hikaru said recklessly; the wounds she had given him stung, "But then again, we wouldn't want to shame you in front of the entire school ... would we, Kaoru?"

"Hikaru?"

"Ha..." Chisato laughed weakly along with the crowd, "you guys really _are _funny."

Hikaru said nothing.


	4. BB or RB

**Disclaimer: **I do not own OHSHC. I only own Chisato-chan

* * *

BB or RB?

PE. Not one of the best classes of the week.

And yet, Chisato had found that her parents thought that by signing her up for sports education would miraculously transform her into the plastic surgery daughter they'd always wanted. Chisato didn't even think of swapping her glasses for contacts; that was, as had been said time and time before, an impossible feat. And to make matters worse, the teacher had thought it would be 'amusing' to allocate Hikaru, Kaoru, someone else named Haruhi, and Chisato to the same team.

_Wise move_, Chisato thought sarcastically.

Now, halfway through the game, she was wishing she was anywhere but here. Hikaru and Kaoru seemed to enjoy slamming into Haruhi – the fresh-faced boy protested violently at this – but for them, Chisato was invisible, nothing more than a shimmering, annoying presence, like a bug they longed to swat. She too, stuck to the gridlines; ignoring the ball in turn.

"Oi, Scarecrow!" Hikaru roared at her at one point, "Basketball means you _move, _y'know, not scare everyone away!"

The ball arced towards Chisato. She literally had no time to react. One moment, the great, orange shape was up in the air, the next it was soaring towards her, smacking her in the face. The jagged moments came in snapshots – broken glass littered the ground, with flecks of blood. She didn't know whose it was. Hikaru, Kaoru, Haruhi – all the beautiful faces crowding around her, pressing upwards to catch a glimpse of her face.

_Go away, _Chisato bade them mentally. They did nothing.

"Take her to the nurse's office!"

"Haruhi, hurry! No – the glass!"

"No, Hikaru! Go with her; _go with her!" _It was Kaoru's voice this time, rich and urgent as he fought his fear, "Go on!"

Hikaru ran grudgingly towards Chisato, flinging a rough arm around her. He manhandled her, shoving the frightened girl out the corridor and up the school grounds. Their feet flew silently over the gravelled areas. Chisato's head swum; she could barely concentrate. She raised her hands to her face precautiously, and blood wet them. The world flickered in and out of cartoon motion. Her knees buckled beneath her, and the next moment, she had collapsed.

Hikaru stopped beside her.

"Oh brother," she heard him swear, "what the hell am I supposed to do with this malfunctioning junk?"

They kept their positions, Chisato's ears rining, Hikaru unwilling to move. The next moment he had hauled her to her feet once more, and swung her up and around onto his back. Dark, scarlet blood spattered the thin material of his shirt, and Hikaru muttered grudgingly. Still, his warmth seeped through to Chisato; warm, yet unwilling.

"Just hold on."

He sprinted with the tiny girl, so slight and breakable, to the nurse's office. Kaoru had forced her open him. And he didn't like it.

OooOoOo

Chisato's wounds really weren't all that bad; she was merely an easy bleeder. Nonetheless, the jagged cuts of her broken glasses ran deep. That was all Hikaru was told; he would have to wait outside for the rest. The teenager paced, swore, did everything to keep his cool. He didn't like waiting here ... not for that girl, at any count.


	5. DIY Identity

**Disclaimer: **I do not own OHSHC. I only own Chisato-chan. 

Warning: prepare for moeness.

* * *

D-I-Y Identity

"She's awake."

Hikaru stood, a single, fluid motion, and crossed the room to where Chisato lay, faint and barely breathing. The sight of her own blood had gotten to her. _A wuss at heart, _Hikaru thought sarcastically, although some of the enmity had dissolved in his tone. He pulled back the covers cautiously, wishing he wasn't the one there. But even so, he doubted that anyone else would've come for her.

Chisato slumbered peacefully, features smooth and unrumpled. The nurse had done her best, tenderly placing plasters and plucking glass from the several wounds Chisato had acquired. The puckered skin would heal easily, Hikaru noted. Without thinking, he traced the thin lines .. and then pulled away again. Curious, Hikaru's gaze travelled up and down the unexplored regions of Chisato's face.

Her mouth, she knew; it was usually in a thin line. But the rest of the face was completely new. Delicate, china-doll features befitted a lady of Chisato's ranking, the irritation and stern gaze melted away. Her skin was ever so pale, her nose tiny. Her eyelids were peppered with glass; apparently, she still had the insight to close her eyes, even if she hadn't blocked or caught the ball.

Hikaru's breath caught. He saw no reason why this girl needed plastic surgery. She really was Haruhi .. in girl format.

OooOoO

"You saw."

The small voice accused him; Hikaru turned around, from his seat on the windowsill, to see Chisato. Her dark hair obscured her face. She had purposefully brushed her damp locks forward, and in the meantime, had placed more plasters all over her porcelain features. Hikaru sniggered.

"You still trying to hide?"

"You still trying to probe?" Chisato countered.

They were silent for a moment longer. Then Chisato rounded the corner, and stood awkwardly before Hikaru. If she had been a different girl, a more confident one, he would've been fine with pulling her down to sit beside him. But this girl ... she merely stood before him, addressing him as her equal. Hikaru's mouth remained unchanged.

"It's like ... a Do It Yourself Identity, I guess." Chisato finally said, ".. for me. My parents wanted me to be one."

Hikaru nodded, although he had no idea what she was talking about.

"So, I figured I could still be 'DIY' .. just without the plastic." Chisato said. "But you wouldn't understand. After all, you're Hikaru Hitachiin."

Hikaru watched her go, head still bowed, confusion on his face.

* * *

Liking it so far? It hasn't progressed _that _much, but heck. I'm looking forward to continuing it out. R&R, please? 


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